Unlike Favre, Tigers' Rogers still has the fire

Saturday, March 8, 2008
Tom Gage: Tigers Spring Training
Unlike Favre, Tigers' Rogers still has the fire
Starting pitcher relates to quarterback's decision to hang it up, but says baseball is still fun.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The tired old quarterback is 38. The ancient but active hurler is 43.

They've both thrown a ball for a living. Different sport, different bumps in the road, but same overall challenge.

When Kenny Rogers heard Brett Favre say, while formally announcing his retirement Thursday, "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to," he recognized the conflicting thoughts involved because they are what Rogers wrestles with every winter.

He's always believed he could play. But he waits to make sure he wants to.

"I understood exactly what he meant," the Tigers veteran left-hander said.

Instead of thumbs down, however, Rogers again has decided he wants to. True, he doesn't have linebackers chasing him or linemen slamming him to the ground, but Favre didn't have liners whistling past his ear, either.

It was clear, though, in Rogers' second start of the spring that he is happy with his decision. The joy he still feels for the game was evident in the way he sprinted for a grounder that went foul down the third-base line, and the way he discussed a close pickoff attempt after the game.

"I had (Mark) Kotsay out at first," he said. "I had him. He just wasn't out when they called it. Getting to work on that is a plus. Those are things that are nice because he's seen me plenty of times. So it's good to know I can get him leaning a little bit."

The inner fire is there. But is Rogers ready for the season?

Hardly. He gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits in 2 1/3 innings of the Tigers' 9-6 victory. He's not throwing breaking balls yet, and he even walked a hitter after getting ahead 0-2.

But the commitment to the long haul that Favre no longer is willing to make, Rogers is. It took some thought, though.

"Without a doubt, you can still go out there, compete and be successful," Rogers said. "But people don't understand, to commit yourself to go through what you have to go through. It's very difficult.

"Football is a little different than baseball, but it's hard to keep playing when you don't have to play but want to play because you want to compete. Is it really worth it? Do I want to put myself through it again?"

Rogers still does.

"If you're not willing to commit (but still come back), you're doing everyone a disservice, yourself, your teammates, everyone," he said. "You have to be committed to doing whatever it takes."

One factor that made Rogers' decision easier is that he didn't want to leave the game after a 2007 season of what he called "just sitting around, basically being a waste for over half a year."

"If you're going to decide on whether you're going to play or not, you want a full season of competing. To go out on that note, as Favre is, sets a lot better than the alternative. He went out on his own terms.

"But if you think you had good stuff, and the other team starts pummeling you, it might be time to re-evaluate. Results will tell you when you're done."

So will the simple reluctance that ended Favre's career but hasn't ended Rogers'.

"I'm still here, still competing, still enjoying it," Rogers said, "and I want to be sure I have fun doing it. That's why I didn't want to go anywhere else.

"I knew Detroit would be a fun experience for me."

Around the horn

Assessing how Rogers threw, manager Jim Leyland said, "He's just building up his arm strength."

Age usually comes up in any postgame session with Rogers these days. When you're older than nearly everyone in the game, that's to be understood.

Pudge Rodriguez, who had a home run and two doubles for the Tigers, is a kid of 36 in comparison. If anything, Rodriguez is playing like he's five years younger than that.

When asked if he ever feels five years younger, Rogers said "Never. But with this club, to be in the low 30s, I'd be fighting people to get starts."

You can reach Tom Gage at tom.gage@detnews.com.